Sheet-handling machine.



H. M. BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. I915. 1,25%,76. Patented Jan. 8,1918.

4- SHEETSSHEET I- Illlli lllllll H. M. BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 1915.

Patented Jan. 8,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. M. BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. l9l5- Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 In Menivr 4 H. M. BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. l9l5. 1,252,76, Patented Jan. 8,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

,l-hvanivw: 7% 4 Nin HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO C. B. COT'IRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SHEET-HANDLING MACHINE.

Application filed April 28, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in.Sheet-Handling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention includes means whereby each successive signature is ledfrom the press through a different stitcher mechanism than the precedingsignature.

The invention also includes means for positively removing the stitchedsignatures from their stitcher mechanisms and folding off saidsignatures.

This invention also includes means whereby the stitched signatures arefolded and delivered'to different delivery mechanisms.

This invention more specifically includes means whereby the signaturesare alternately fed to two stitcher mechanisms and are positivelyremoved therefrom by grippers carried by the rotary folding-offcylinders, which, in turn, fold off the stitched signatures to a common.coacting folding cylinder from which the folded signatures are deliveredin succession to two delivery mechanisms.

This invention also more specifically includes two delivery devicesincluding delivery cylinders, a common female folding cylinder havingtwo sets of folding jaws arranged to transfer the stitched and foldedsignatures to the delivery cylinders, two

male folding cylinders having tucking blades arranged to co-act withtheir corresponding sets of folding jaws, two stitcher mechanisms,grippers on said male folding cylinders for positively removing thesignatures from the stitcher mechanisms, feedingin devices for thestitcher mechanisms, and a common feeding cylinder having two sets ofgrippers arranged to coact with their respective feeding in devices totransfer the signatures thereto.

The object of this invention is to provide means for rapidly stitching,folding and delivering signatures and, at the same time, permit thestoppage of the signatures and ample time to allow them to be accuratelystitched.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 8, 1918.

Serial No. 24,511.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central sectiontaken from front to rear through so much of a sheet handling machine asincludes my invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken from front to rear inside thenear side frame,

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section taken from front to rear inside thefar side frame, and

F ig. 4: is a detail section showing the driving connection betweentheparts and also certain of the cam mechanisms.

A feeding cylinder 1 mounted on the shaft 2 carries two sets of grippers3, f, arranged to take successive signatures as they are fed from thecutters 5, 6, through the guides 7, 8, and feed the signaturesalternately to the cylinders 9, 10, of the feedingin devices for thestitcher mechanisms.

The shaft of the cylinder 9 is denoted by 11, and of the cylinder 10 by12. he set of grippers 13 on the cylinder 9 is arranged to take asignature from the set of grippers 23 of the cylinder 1 every revolutionof the cylinder 1 and every two revolutions of the cylinder 9.

The set of grippers 1 1 on the cylinder 10 is arranged to take asignature from the set of grippers at of the cylinder 1 every revolutionof the cylinder 1 and every second revolution of the cylinder 10.

The upper stitcher table is denoted by 15 and the lower stitcher tableby 16.

A movable stop 17 is provided for the table 15 and a movable stop 18 isprovided for the-stitcher table 16.

The upper stitcher mechanism is denoted by 19 and the lower stitchermechanism by 20, which stitcher mechanisms are driven respectivelythrough suitable gearing from the shafts 21, 22.

Endless tape carriers 23, 24, are arranged to feed the signatures fromthe cylinder 9 onto the stitcher table 15 against the movable stop 17.Similarly, endless tape carriers 25, 26, are arranged to feed thesignatures from the cylinder 10 onto the stitcher table 16. against themovable stop 18.

The upper male folding cylinder is denoted by 27, its shaft by 28, itsset of grippers by 29, and its tucking blade by 30.

The lower male folding cylinder is denoted by 31, its shaft by 32, itsset of grippers by 33 and its tucking blade by 34.

The common female folding cylinder is denoted by 35, its shaft by 36,and its two sets of folding jaws by 37, 38, respectively.

The upper delivery cylinder is denoted by 39, its shaft by and its setof grippers by 41. The lower delivery cylinder is denoted by 42, itsshaft by 43, and its set of grippers by 44. The upper endless deliverycarrier is denoted by and the lower endless delivery carrier by 46.

A short circular cam 47 is arranged to operate the grippers 3 of thecylinder 1 to close them on the signature at their receiving point andto open them at the proper time to release the signature to the grippers13 of the cylinder 9. A long circular cam 48 is arranged to operate thegrippers 4 on the cylinder 1 to close them on the next succeedingsignature at their receiving point and to open them to release thesignature to the grippers 14 of the cylinder 10. The cam 49 controls theoperation of the grip pers 13 and the cam 50 controls'the operation ofthe grippers 14.

The movement of the sheet stop 17 is con trolled by the rotary cam 51carried by the cylinder 27 and the movement of the sheet stop 18 iscontrolled by the cam 52 carried by the cylinder 31.

The grippers 29 on the cylinder 27 are shown as tumbler operated andthey are controlled at their receiving point by the pin 53 and at theirreleasing point by the pin 54. Similarly, the grippers 33 on thecylinder 31 are shown as tumbler operated and they are controlled attheir receiving point by the pin 55 and at their releasing point by thepin 56.

The coacting folding mechanisms are of the floating tucking blade andfloating folding jaw type of well known and approved form and theiroperating cam mechanisms will not be specifically described herein asthey form no part of the present invention.

A stationary cam 57 is arranged in position to open the folding jaws 37to transfer its stitched and folded signature to the delivery cylinder39 and the stationary cam 58 is arranged to open the folding jaws 38 totransfer its stitched and folded signature to the delivery cylinder 42.A fixed cam 59 is arranged in position to operate the grippers41 on theupper delivery cylinder 39 to receive its stitched and folded signa turefrom the cylinder 35 and deliver the said signature to the deliverydevice 45. A fixed cam 60 is arranged in position to operate thegrippers 44 of the lower 'delivery cylinder 42 for receiving itsstitched and folded signature from the folding cylinder 35 and deliverthe same to the delivery stitcher mechanisms, are driven from theshaft 2of the cylinder 1 through the train of gears 61, 62, 63, 64. The shafts11, 12, of the cylinders 9, 10, are driven from the gear. on the shaft 2through the gears 66, 67. The cylinders 27, 31, 35, 39 and 42, aredriven from the gear 67 through the train of gears 68, 69, 70, 71, 72,73.

In the form herein shown, the cylinders 1, 9, 10, 27, 31, 35, 39 and 42are all drive at the same surface speed. '1

By sending one signature to one stitcher mechanism and the nextsignature to another stitcher mechanism, I am enabled to stitch onesignature while the other one is being fed in position to be stitched.

By. providing a plurality of deliveries, I am enabled to stitch and foldseparate products and deliver them in diiferent piles.

By the term cylinder, as used in the description, I contemplate anysuitable means for passing the signatures through the prescribed paths,and by the term grippers, I contemplate any engaging devices suitablefor the purpose of leading the sig- 7 natures through said prescribedpaths.

It it evident that slight changes may be resorted to in the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth, 7

mechanism for folding the signatures ontheir way to the deliverymechanisms, said single folding mechanism comprising two-- male foldingcylinders and a female folding cylinder arranged to coact therewith.

2. In a machine of the character described,

two sheet paths, means for feeding signatures. therethrough, twodelivery mechanisms, and a single folding mechanism for folding thesignatures on their way to the 7 two delivery mechanisms, said slnglefolding mechanism comprising two male folding cylinders and a femalefolding cylinder ar-' ranged to coact therewith.

3. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of sheet paths,a plurality of de livery cylinders, a plurality of male foldingcylinders arranged to take the signatures from the sheet paths, andasingle female folding cylinder arranged to coact withthe male foldingcylinders to fold the signatures and to coact with the delivery cylinders' 'to' transfer the folded signatures thereto.

4. In a machine of the character described, two sheet paths, twodelivery cylinders, two male folding cylinders arranged to take thesignatures from the two sheet paths and a common female folding cylinderarranged to coact with the two male folding cylinders 1 to fold thesignatures and to coact with the two delivery cylinders to transfer thefolded signatures thereto.

5. In a machine of the character des ribed, a plurality of sheet paths,a stitcher mechanism in each sheet path, means for feeding signaturesthrough said sheet paths, a plurality of delivery mechanisms and asingle folding mechanism for folding the stitched signatures on theirway to the delivery mechanisms.

G. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of sheet paths,a stitcher mechanism in each sheet path, means for feeding signaturesthrough said sheet paths, a plurality of delivery mechanisms and asingle folding mechanism for folding the stitched signatures on theirway to the delivery mech anisms, said single folding mechanismcomprising two male folding cylinders and a female folding cylinderarranged to coact therewith.

7. In a machine of the character described, two sheet paths, a stitchermechanism in each sheet path, means for feeding signatures through thetwo sheet paths, two delivery mechanisms and a single folding mechanismfor folding the stitched signatures on their way to the two deliverymechnisms.

8. In a machine of the character described,

two sheet paths, a stitcher mechanism in each sheet path, means forfeeding signatures through the two sheet paths, two delivery mechanismsand a single folding mechanism for folding the stitched signatures ontheir way to the two delivery mechanisms, said single folding mechanismcomprising two male folding cylinders and a female folding cylinderarranged to coact therewith.

9. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of sheet paths,a stitcher mechanism in each sheet path, a plurality of deliverycylinders, a plurality of male folding cylinders arranged to take thestitched signatures from the sheet paths and a single female foldingcylinder arranged to coact with the male folding cylinders to fold thestitched signatures and to coact with the delivery cylinders to transferthe folded signatures thereto.

10. In a machine of the character described, two sheet paths, a stitchermechanism in each path, two delivery cylinders, two male foldingcylinders arranged to take the stitched signatures from the two sheetpaths, and a common female folding cylinder arranged to coact with thetwo male folding cylinders to fold the two stitched signatures and tocoact with the two delivery cylinders to transfer the stitched andfolded signatures thereto.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name this twenty-seventh day of April, 1915.

I-IOIVARD M. BARBER.

Copies ofl this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

